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Population Biology

Types of Degrees Population Biology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Population Biology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	5
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Population Biology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Population Biology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Population Biology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Population Biology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Population Biology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Science — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Population Biology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Population Biology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Processing Information	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Population Biology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Population Biology graduates include:

• Research Scientist
• Scientist
• Biologist
• Molecular Research Biologist
• Molecular Biology Scientist
• Neurophysiologist
• Cell Biologist
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Postdoc Research Fellow)
• Nematology Teacher
• Herpetology Teacher
• Zoology Teacher
• Mammalogy Teacher
• Physiology Instructor
• Zoology Professor
• Botany Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Population Biology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-doctoral training	34.1%
Doctoral degree	27.3%
Master’s degree	23.4%
Bachelor’s degree	12.7%
Post-master’s certificate	1.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Population Biology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70% of Population Biology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7	70.0%
Men	3	30.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Population Biology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6	60.0%
Race Unknown	2	20.0%
International Students	2	20.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Population Biology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Population Biology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,645
4 years	$55,280
5 years	$64,232

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,232 — roughly 44% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Population Biology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Population Biology graduates earn a median of $55,280 four years after completion — roughly 45% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	26.13
Aquatic Biology/Limnology	26.1304
Conservation Biology	26.1307
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology	26.1310
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other	26.1399
Ecology	26.1301
Environmental Biology	26.1305
Epidemiology and Biostatistics	26.1311
Epidemiology	26.1309
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics	26.1308
Anatomy	26.0403

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.